Learning hub · People
The people who built Bitcoin
Cypherpunks, cryptographers, developers, early adopters and controversial figures. Every card stat, bio line and connection links to a source. Photos are openly licensed from Wikimedia Commons, with credits on each card; where no free photo exists, we show a monogram. Who Satoshi is remains unknown, and we do not speculate.
Connection map
14 sourced connections. Lines are drawn only where a primary source or reference work documents the link; people without a documented link to others here stand alone.
Satoshi Nakamoto5 links
- Hal Finney received the first BTC transaction from Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Adam Back Hashcash cited in the white paper by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Wei Dai b-money cited in the white paper by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Nick Szabo Bitgold named as a basis of Bitcoin by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Gavin Andresen given repository and alert-key control by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Open Satoshi Nakamoto's card →
Hal Finney3 links
- Hal Finney received the first BTC transaction from Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Hal Finney built RPOW on Hashcash-style proof-of-work by Adam Back source
- Hal Finney inspired by the work of (1992 post) David Chaum source
- Open Hal Finney's card →
Adam Back4 links
- Adam Back Hashcash cited in the white paper by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Hal Finney built RPOW on Hashcash-style proof-of-work by Adam Back source
- Adam Back co-founded Blockstream with Pieter Wuille source
- Adam Back co-founded Blockstream with Gregory Maxwell source
- Open Adam Back's card →
Nick Szabo1 link
- Nick Szabo Bitgold named as a basis of Bitcoin by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Open Nick Szabo's card →
Wei Dai2 links
- Wei Dai b-money cited in the white paper by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Wei Dai b-money opens by citing the crypto-anarchy of Timothy C. May source
- Open Wei Dai's card →
David Chaum1 link
- Hal Finney inspired by the work of (1992 post) David Chaum source
- Open David Chaum's card →
Gavin Andresen3 links
- Gavin Andresen given repository and alert-key control by Satoshi Nakamoto source
- Wladimir van der Laan took over as Core lead maintainer from Gavin Andresen source
- Roger Ver was a founding member of the Bitcoin Foundation, founded by Gavin Andresen source
- Open Gavin Andresen's card →
Wladimir van der Laan1 link
- Wladimir van der Laan took over as Core lead maintainer from Gavin Andresen source
- Open Wladimir van der Laan's card →
Pieter Wuille2 links
- Adam Back co-founded Blockstream with Pieter Wuille source
- Pieter Wuille Taproot BIP builds on the proposal of Gregory Maxwell source
- Open Pieter Wuille's card →
Gregory Maxwell2 links
- Adam Back co-founded Blockstream with Gregory Maxwell source
- Pieter Wuille Taproot BIP builds on the proposal of Gregory Maxwell source
- Open Gregory Maxwell's card →
Eric Hughes1 link
- Eric Hughes co-founded the cypherpunks with Timothy C. May source
- Open Eric Hughes's card →
Timothy C. May2 links
- Eric Hughes co-founded the cypherpunks with Timothy C. May source
- Wei Dai b-money opens by citing the crypto-anarchy of Timothy C. May source
- Open Timothy C. May's card →
Roger Ver1 link
- Roger Ver was a founding member of the Bitcoin Foundation, founded by Gavin Andresen source
- Open Roger Ver's card →
Cards
Creator
Satoshi Nakamoto
Pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin
- Known for ·
- Bitcoin white paper and v0.1 software
- Date ·
- Jan 3, 2009: genesis block
Cypherpunk
Hal Finney
Cryptographer, first recipient of a Bitcoin transaction
- Known for ·
- First Bitcoin transaction recipient
- Date ·
- Jan 12, 2009: received 10 BTC
Cypherpunk
Adam Back
Cryptographer, inventor of Hashcash, Blockstream CEO
- Known for ·
- Hashcash proof-of-work
- Date ·
- 1997: Hashcash proposed
Cypherpunk
Nick Szabo
Computer scientist, legal scholar, smart-contract pioneer
- Known for ·
- Bit gold, smart contracts
- Date ·
- Dec 2005: bit gold post
Cypherpunk
Wei Dai
Computer engineer, author of b-money and Crypto++
- Known for ·
- b-money, Crypto++
- Date ·
- 1998: b-money published
Precursor
David Chaum
Cryptographer, founder of DigiCash
- Known for ·
- Ecash, blind signatures, mix networks
- Date ·
- 1990: founded DigiCash
Developer
Gavin Andresen
Early lead developer, Bitcoin Foundation founder
- Known for ·
- Lead developer after Satoshi; the Bitcoin Faucet
- Date ·
- Apr 8, 2014: handed lead maintainer role on
Early adopter
Laszlo Hanyecz
Early developer, Bitcoin Pizza Day buyer
- Known for ·
- Bitcoin Pizza Day
- Date ·
- May 22, 2010: 10,000 BTC for two pizzas
Educator
Andreas M. Antonopoulos
Author and educator
- Known for ·
- Mastering Bitcoin, talks and podcasts
- Date ·
- 2014: Mastering Bitcoin published
Markets
Michael Saylor
Executive chairman of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy)
- Known for ·
- Corporate bitcoin treasury strategy
- Date ·
- Aug 11, 2020: 21,454 BTC purchase
Developer
Wladimir van der Laan
Bitcoin Core lead maintainer, 2014–2022
- Known for ·
- Bitcoin Core lead maintainer
- Date ·
- Apr 8, 2014: became lead maintainer
Developer
Pieter Wuille
Bitcoin Core developer, author of HD wallets, SegWit and Taproot BIPs
- Known for ·
- BIP 32, SegWit, Schnorr and Taproot
- Date ·
- Nov 14, 2021: Taproot activates
Developer
Gregory Maxwell
Bitcoin Core developer, CoinJoin and Taproot idea
- Known for ·
- CoinJoin, Taproot proposal
- Date ·
- Aug 2013: CoinJoin post
Developer
Luke Dashjr
Bitcoin Core contributor, Bitcoin Knots maintainer, Ocean co-founder
- Known for ·
- Bitcoin Knots
- Date ·
- 2023: co-founded Ocean mining pool
Builder
Jameson Lopp
Casa co-founder, security engineer
- Known for ·
- Casa multisig custody; Bitcoin resources list
Legal history
Ross Ulbricht
Creator of Silk Road
- Known for ·
- Silk Road (2011–2013)
- Date ·
- Jan 21, 2025: pardoned
Cypherpunk
Eric Hughes
Cypherpunk co-founder, author of A Cypherpunk's Manifesto
- Known for ·
- A Cypherpunk's Manifesto
- Date ·
- Mar 9, 1993: Manifesto
Cypherpunk
Timothy C. May
Cypherpunk co-founder, author of The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto
- Known for ·
- The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto, the Cyphernomicon
- Date ·
- 1992: cypherpunks founded
Early adopter
Roger Ver
Early investor and promoter, Bitcoin Cash advocate
- Known for ·
- Early bitcoin startup investing; Bitcoin.com
- Date ·
- Oct 14, 2025: deferred prosecution agreement
Checked Oct 15, 2026. Spot an error? Every claim links to its source so you can verify it. See also the timeline, history and quotes.